Soloists 1
Since 1993, Marshall Community Band has over featured 30 soloists. Soloists may be band members or guest artists. Guest artists have included Martin Erickson (tuba), Byron Autrey (cornet), Ken Bauman (trumpet), Larry Ochiltree (drum set), Daniel Neesley (tuba), Luis Maldonado (euphonium), Philip Sinder (tuba), Scott Thornburg (cornet), and Alison Shaw (xylophone). The musicians shown below will be featured during the 2008 summer season of six concerts.
John Marshell plays principal trumpet for the Marshall Community Band summer season and often steps up front as a featured soloist. During the rest of the year, John plays principal trumpet for the KCC Concert Band, Marshall Brass Quartet, and The Hometowners (German Band). John plays solo cornet in the Capital City Brass Band in Lansing. He graduated from Marshall High School in 1956 and played for two years in the University of Michigan Symphonic Band and Marching Band under William D. Revelli. John was a founding member of the Brass Band of Battle Creek. He is the retired manager of Ferree's Tool of Battle Creek which manufactures musical instrument repair equipment.
John is an excellent cornetist and he has played several of the difficult professional solos. John was our featured soloist for our first concert at the new Frances Stevens Stuart Band Shell on June 16, 2004. The following year, he played Grand Russian Fantasia, a famous cornet solo written by Jules Levy, for concert #3. In 2006, he played Bride of the Waves written by Herbert L. Clarke. In 2009, he played Leroy Anderson's A Trumpeter's Lullaby and the Harry James swing jazz solo, Ciribiribin.
Christine Griffith lives in and teaches flute in Kalamazoo. She has a B.S. in Education from Southern Illinois University. Chris plays piccolo with the Kalamazoo Concert Band, is principal flutist with the Kalamazoo Philharmonia Orchestra (and Woodwind Quintet), and is a member of the West Michigan Flute Association, Ein Prosit German Band which she and her husband manage, Blue Lake International Adult Community Band, Quintessence Woodwind Quintet, Holland American Legion Band, Windiana Touring Band and the Marshall Community Band. Chris and her husband John, who plays euphonium, have toured Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France Germany and Luxembourg on five tours with the Blue Lake International Adult Community Band. They also toured China with the Windiana Concert Band from Valparaiso University. 2009 is the sixth year Chris has been featured as piccolo soloist.
Deanna Swoboda is Assistant Professor of Music at Western Michigan University where she teaches tuba and euphonium and performs with the Western Brass Quintet, a resident faculty ensemble. Swoboda holds degrees from the University of Idaho and Northwestern University, and is completing studies for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University. From 2000-2005, Swoboda performed as a member of the Dallas Brass. Prior to her appointment at WMU, Swoboda taught at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and Las Vegas Arts Academy. She has also taught at the University of Northern Iowa, University of Denver, University of Idaho, National Conservatory of Madrid (Spain), and Deutschen Tubaforum–Hammelberg (Germany). As a clinician, Swoboda has appeared at the national and northwest regional conventions of Music Educators National Conference (MENC), Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, International Women’s Brass Conference, International Tuba-Euphonium Conference.
In addition to being a video artist for Silver Burdette-Ginn, Swoboda wrote, produced, organized, and performed on the band recruitment DVD “Band Blast Off!”. Her solo CD, “Deanna’s Wonderland,” was released on Summit Records in 1999.
Doug Sink is an Electrical Contractor and Registered Electrical Inspector with an Associates Degree in Electronics Technology from Kellogg Community College. He graduated from Marshall High School in 1971, where he played cornet and trumpet in the Band and Orchestra program and was also a member of Marshall Singers. His first private trumpet lessons were given to him by another member of this band, Dr. Ross VanNess, while he was band director at MHS. During High School, Doug was a member of the Battle Creek Symphony and also played in various groups at Interlochen Arts Academy. In college he performed in the Jazz Band under the direction of Art Gorman and in Kellogg Singers. Currently Doug is a member of the Marshall Community Band, the Cereal City Concert Band and the Marshall Brass Quartet. Doug is also a member of the Marshall Community Band Board of Directors.
When Doug is not working or playing his trumpet, he likes to collect Fire Department and Steam Memorabilia and be with his family. Doug and his wife, Cindy, have two grown sons. Ken Sink is a Choir Director in Houston, TX. Doug Jr. is a Masters Degree Student (in Art) at Colorado State University and is married to Elizabeth. They have little daughter , Tessa.
In 2009, Doug the famous Clyde McCoy muted trumpet swing solo, Sugar Blues.
